BERLINGO – BIG ON SPACE AND VALUE
The latest Citroen Berlingo is a leisure vehicle with so much to offer. Roy Woodcock takes one for a test drive
Although the Multispace name has been dropped from the latest Citroen Berlingo, it’s reassuring to know the concept hasn’t.
There continues to be bags of space in this van-based MPV; in fact, there’s more than ever and it surely remains the number one reason for buying one.
This is the original “Leisure Activity Vehicle”, first introduced 22 years ago and much-loved by those who value spaciousness, comfort, practicality and low running costs.
An ideal partner, in fact, for families with active lifestyles.
The big news around this new, third-generation Berlingo is the fact that not only can it be specified in five or seven-seat configurations, you can also choose between the “standard” model (badged M for Medium) or the Berlingo XL, with an additional 35cm of bodywork behind the rear wheels, giving an even larger boot.
The Berlingo M, tested here, is also slightly longer than the outgoing model, and has many features that make life just so much easier.
The split rear seats (of this five-seater) can be folded down easily and, combined with a folding front passenger seat, provides a perfectly flat floor and a load length of up to 2.790m (3.05m for the XL model).
What I really like it how accessible the boot space is, thanks to the opening rear window in the tailgate and the two different heights for the luggage cover.
Two wide sliding rear doors remain, which are absolutely brilliant for access or loading large objects. But, however many airbumps and snazzy colour contrasts are applied to the vehicle (and yes, they do look good in my opinion), there’s no getting away from the fact that this is based on a van and drives like one.
But once you’ve come to terms with that compromise, all the benefits will outweigh that (possibly) negative perception.
It’s also only fair to point out that the Berlingo will appear quite a wide vehicle and, therefore, you also need to accustom yourself to manoeuvrability issues when parking it.
Once you have, however, you’ll be congratulating yourself on how versatile this vehicle is. There are 28 ingenious storage spaces in the cabin, for instance, including the “Modutop” ceiling storage system, which comes with ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof with an electric blind.
The “Top Box” glove compartment is unique to the segment thanks to the “Airbag in Roof ” system.
There are two trim levels, Feel and Flair, and it was the entry-level Feel model driven here.
It comes fitted with manual air-conditioning, automatic lights and wipers and “follow me home” headlights, front fog lights with cornering function, 8in touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth and Mirror Screen for android auto or Apple Carplay, electric and heated door mirrors, 16in steel wheels and a safety pack, including lane keeping assistance and speed limit recognition.
Flair models add alloy wheels, roof bars, electric parking brake and rear sensors, electric windows all round, 3D navigation and voice recognition, tray tables on the rear of the front seats and three independent rear seats.
Multiple options can be specified, including rear camera and a park assist pack.
The Berlingo is available with a range of petrol and diesel engines; my test car was fitted with a 101 horsepower, 1.4-litre Bluetech diesel, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, that offered fuel economy in excess of 60mpg. It sits in the middle of a range of three 1.4 diesels and, with the increased power it offers over the entry-level BLUEHDI 75 diesel, should make it the most popular, although, it has to be said, it won’t set any pulses racing.
There’s not exactly masses of competition if this is the sort of vehicle that ticks most of your “must have” boxes; other choices could be versions of the Volkswagen Caddy, Peugeot Rifter, Vauxhall Combo Life or Ford Tourneo Connect. But the constant evolution of the Berlingo keeps the Citroen bang up to date and, therefore, at this stage, is the leader of the pack.